SOFT ground appeared to scupper Awake My Soul’s hattrick bid last time but he can regain the winning thread at Ayr.

David O’Meara’s runner was feeling the pace at York that day as he ran around a bit under pressure and certainly did not look quite the same as he had in winning at Beverley and Ripon previously.

However, that was the first time he had encountered easy conditions since autumn and some of his worst performances have come on testing ground.

A further 1lb rise does not look to be too much of an issue and a return to good ground should help his chance of redemption in the Employment Enterprise 10 Years In Business Handicap.

While Ripon certainly does not match Epsom, Elaine Burke will still be delighted if Yeeoow can triumph there. Burke came agonisingly close to being the first woman to saddle a Derby winner as Libertarian just missed out on Saturday.

Although Yeeoow is nowhere near as good as his stablemate, he should be smart enough in the Directors Cup.

This four-year-old is still pretty lightly raced for a horse of his age and while he has been making steady progress up the handicap, he remains a runner of possibly untapped potential.

Twice a winner on the all-weather, he broke his turf duck when striking gold at Ascot last month in a similarly competitive event.

Tumblewind can supplement her recent Beverley success with victory in the Ripon Farm Services Handicap. Richard Whitaker’s charge made a favourable impression when winning by just under two lengths, with a fair bit in hand.